Over the weekend, I completed my annual/3,500 mile oil change.  No problems, I used the wooden cribs I built a while back, and let the oil drain for 2+ hours before reinstalling a new drain plug and crush washer along with a new Wix oil filter.  It was simple and quick, and overall my 986 is running well, although I need to detail it again.

However, while I was under the car I checked the oil leak I noticed about 5,000 miles ago on the passenger side of the engine.  I had cleaned it up to see if it would return and it is still there. For the first time ever I added about 1/2 quart of oil to my 986 between oil changes, so I have decided this is something that needs to be addressed now.  I am happy to do most of my own maintenance but troubleshooting internal engine issues is not my strong suit so I will be taking my 986 to a mechanic to resolve this.  I am hoping it is not the RMS, I actually think it could be something simple like a cracked spark plug tube, but we will see.

I also have gotten two unrelated Check Engine Light codes, P0410 and P1411, which are secondary air system issues.  I think my overheating issue a few weeks ago might have deteriorated some hoses, although they both happened while I had the purge valve on my coolant tank open so I have cleared them to see if they return.

After an initial issue with the color, I got a 2.5" silver "986" vinyl batwing decal made for my new two-switch batwing, that matches my Arctic Silver lower center console.  This is replacing my old batwing that had a "Porsche" decal.

I also cannot believe that I never realized before now that "986" is the same when flipped over.  However, with the decal font the lower half of the 8 is slightly wider.

If anyone wants one, I have an extra black and silver decal.

After twelve years of owning my 986, I have done a lot of modifications, particularly right at the start. One of my goals has been to eliminate all of the switch blanks on my dash. When I recently installed my radiator fan switch modification I decided to update some of my old wiring. I had never done much with electronics before my first Boxster modification, the OBC hack. Looking back I was eager to eliminate my previous liberal use of electrical tape, which can become a sticky mess after a few years in a hot car.

I have had some cooling issues with my 986 in the past.  They have mostly been resolved since I did a complete coolant flush at 95,000 miles, replaced the water pump and installed a low temp thermostat, 'S' oil cooler, and third radiator.  I believe these issues originated from an independent mechanic I used to go to that may have mixed two types of coolant which can cause them to gel.

While driving with the top down this summer, I was consistently hitting the 210 mark on the coolant temp gauge, when it should max out near the 0 in 180. then while stuck in traffic I passed 210, and had to pull over for my 986 to cool down.  The cooling system worked fine on the freeway when air was getting rammed into the radiators.  After some testing, I determined that my driver's side radiator fan had died.